Twenty-four hour time switch



Dec. 23,. 1969 D. MORRISON ETAL 3,485,963

TWENTY-FOUR HOUR TIME SWITCH Filed June 7, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet l D. MORRISON ETAL 3,485,968

TWENTY-FOUR HOUR TME SWITCH Dec. 23, .1969

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 iin-r;

Filed June '7, 1967 I llllllllll. V//// l De. 23, 1969 D, MORRISON ETAL 3,485,968

TWENTY-FOUR HOUR TIME SWITCH Filed June 7. 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent U.S. Cl. 200-38 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical switch controlled by a synchronous motor clock mechanism in which standard clock alarm parts, such as a setting knob, cam gear and indicator hand, operate the switch at selected times through a double lever and combined latch and switch operator that achieves snap actuation of a standard leaf spring switch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relatesgenerally to timer controlled switches and more particularly concerns a 24 hour time switch suitable for general houshold use.

Timers to turn electrical yswitches off and on at selected times during a 24 hour period have come into widespread use for controlling lights, radios, and small appliances. The common devices of this type require the positioning of lugs about a slowly turning dial. It is often difficult to accurately set the timer to the correct time, and even more difficult to set the lugs so that on-off operation is accurately predetermined.

It is also true that the usual timer of this kind appears to the average household user more like a piece of industrial equipment than like an alarm clock which is familiar and used confidently. Moreover, many prior timers give no immediate indication that they are functioning even after they are set and adjusted.

Accordingly, it is the primary aim of this invention to provide a switch controlling timer having the general appearance and setting characteristics of a conventional alarm clock. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a timer of this character which presents va conventional clock case lens displaying a 24 hour dial over which move hands that are set in the conventional way to establish the time, on and off settings of the timer.

A collateral object is to provide a timer of the above kind in which the operative mechanism is enclosed and protected, and in which the various settings can be easily read in the manner of a conventional alarm clock.

Another object is to provide a timer as characterized above that is well suited for attractive, clock-like styling and which can be economically mass produced. yIt is also an object to provide a timer of this kind which gives the user an immediate indication that it is in operation.

-It is a further object to provide a timer which achieves snap actuation of a switch, that is required to prevent arcing, through a slightly modified alarm clock mechanism of otherwise standard kind.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a timer embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan, partially in section, of the mechanism in the timer of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken approximately along the line 3-3 in IfFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken approximately along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan, partially in section, of the mechanism `shown in FIG. 4;

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FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken approximately along the line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c are fragmentary sections corresponding to FIG. 4 but with the parts in alternate working positions; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary bottom rear perspective of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2 and embodied in the timer of PIG. 1.

While the invention will be described in connection With a preferred embodiment, it Will be understood that we do not intend to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, we intend to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Turning to the drawings, there is shown a time switch or switch operating timer 10 embodying the invention and including a box-like housing 11, a transparent lens 12 covering a 24-hour dial 13, and a stack of Hands mounted for movement over the dial and beneath the lens 12. The hands include an hour hand 14, an ON hand 15, an OFF hand 16, and, in the preferred embodiment, a seconds hand 17.

Within the housing, front, middle and rear frame plates 21, 22 and 23 mount the dial 13, the hands 14-17 and a switch 25 that operates a pair of contacts 26 which control the flow of electricity to an outlet 27 mounted in the back of the housing 11. The contacts 26 are mounted on switch arms 28 and 29 which are supported in an insulating block 30 secured to the lower rear portion of the front frame plate 21. The timer 10` includes a synchronous motor 31 and a power cord, not shown, which when fitted into an electric supply outlet energizes the motor 31 and provides power to the outlet 27 under the control of the switch 25.

Pursuant to the invention, the motor 31 drives the hour hand 14 at a one revolution per twenty-four hours rate, a manual control 35 is provided to set the ON and OFF hands 15, 16, and the switch 25 closes the contacts 26 when the position of the hour hand 14 and the ON hand 15 coincide and opens the contacts 26 when the positions of the hour hand and the OFF hand 16 coincide. The second hand 17 is driven by the motor 31 at a one revolution per minute rate and thus a quick glance at the timer to note second hand movement can tell the user that the timer is operating.

The motor y31 is mounted on the rear of the rear frame plate 23 and powers an output pinion 36 that meshes with a seconds wheel 37 secured to a shaft 38 on which the second hand 17 is mounted. A pinion 39 on the shaft 38` engages a gear wheel 401 to which a pinion 41 is secured, and the pinion 41 drives a wheel 42 having an adjacent pinion 43 which, in turn, drives a gear 44 on a time-setting shaft 45. The shaft 45 carries a pinion 46 which meshes with an hour wheel 47 that is mounted on a sleeve v48 on which the hour hand 14 is mounted. The gear 44 is loose on the shaft 45 and a spring 48 holds the gear frictionally against a collar 49 so as to establish a frictional drive between the gear 44 and the pinion 46. The shaft 45 extends rearwardly from the housing 11 and carries a manual control knob 50. The knob 50 is turned to set the hour hand 14, the gear 44 slipping with respect to the shaft 45, and once set the motor 31 drives the hour hand at a one revolution per twenty-four hour rate through the gearing just described.

The ON and OFF hands 15, 16 are mounted, respectively, on a sleeve 52 between the Shaft 38 and the sleeve 48, and a sleeve 53 which surrounds the sleeve 48 and which is the outmost one of the group of concentric sleeves and shaft. A pair of positionable cams 54 and 55 are mounted on either side of the hour Wheel 47 on the sleeves 52 and 53 respectively. In the preferred construction, the cams 54, 55 take the form of gear wheels having pairs of lobes 56 pressed out of the plane of the gears. Those familiar with this art will recognize the cams 54, 55 as of the type used in conventional alarm tripping mechanisms.

For setting the ON and OFF hands 15, 16, the cams 54, 55 mesh with control gears 61 and 62 that, in turn, mesh with pinions 63 and 64 journalled on a shaft 65 carrying the manual control 35. The control gears 61, 62 are journalled on a shaft 66 extending between the frame plates 21, 22, and a spring 67 urges the gears 61, 62 into frictional engagement with the frame plates 21, 22 so that the frictional drag tends to hold the gears 61, 62, and thus the cams 54, 55 in their set positions.

The shaft 65 is mounted for both rotational and axial movement. Pulling the control 35 rearwardly of the housing 11, up in FIGS. 2 and 3, causes a pair of lugs 68 on the shaft 65 to engage slots 69 in the hub of the pinion 63 so that rotation of the control 35 sets the ON hand 15. Similarly, moving the control 35 forward relative to the housing 11 causes the lugs 68 to engage slots 70 in the hub of the pinion 64 so that rotation of the control 35 sets the OFF hand 16.

The hour wheel 47 serves as the control member for the switch 25 and one edge of the hour wheel extends through a slot 72 in a frame 73 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) on which the switch 25 is mounted. The sleeve 48 carrying the hour wheel 47 is free for axial as well as rotational movement, and the hour wheel carries pins 74 positioned to strike the lobes 56 once during every revolution of the hour wheel 47. Engagement of the pins 74 with the lobes 56 on the cam 54 moves the hour wheel 47 forwardly, or down in FIGS. 2 and 4. Engagement of the pins 74 with the lobes 56 on the cam 55 moves the hour wheel 47 rearwardly, or up in FIGS. 2 and 4. The pins 74 and the lobes 56 are positioned in diagonally disposed pairs which cooperate simultaneously so that the camming force is exerted on each side of the axis of rotation to avoid binding, and the lobes 56 and the pins 74 of each pair are differently spaced from the axis or rotation so that camming in one direction occurs only once per revolution of the hour wheel. This spacing arrangement and effect will, of course, be understood by those familiar with this art.

To prevent the lobes 56 on the cams 54, 55 from being alined and trying to act on the pins 74 simultaneouly, the control gears 61, 62 carry stop pins 75 whose angular positions correspond to the angular positions of the lobes 56 on the meshing cams 54, 55. The stop pins 75 abut and prevent the lobes 56 from being axially aligned and thus prevent simultaneous camming of the pins 74 on both sides of the hour wheel 47.

In carrying out the invention, the switch 25 is formed by a pair of levers 81 and 82 biased together by a spring 83 and cooperating with a switch operator 84, the levers 81, 82 acting both as camming members and latch releasing members for the operator 84 so that there iS snap actuation of the contacts 26. In the illustrated arrangement, the levers 81, 82 are pivoted on a common pin 85 fixed in the frame 73 and are formed with projections 86 that are adapted to ride on opposite sides of the hour wheel 47. The operator 84 is pivoted by a pin 87 on the frame 73 and is formed of insulating material and with an integral finger 88 that engages an extension 89 on the contact arm 28. Preferably, the contact arms 28, 29 are mounted so that the contacts 26 are biased closed, and counterclockwise movement of the operator 84, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, causes the finger 88 to engage the extension 89 and open the contacts 26.

The lever 81 carries a pin 91 which passes through an opening 92 in the frame 73 and extends between a cam ming surface 93 and an unlatching surface 94 formed on the operator 84. The lever 82 carries a half or split pin 95 which passes through an opening 96 in the frame 73 and cooperates with a camming surface 97 on the oper ator 84. In addition to carrying the split pin 95, the lever 82 is also formed with an unlatching surface 98.

A rst latch for holding the lever 82 fixed and the switch operator 84 in ON, FIG. 4, position is defined by the split pin bearing on an arcuate edge 101 of the operator 84 under the force of the spring 83. When the lobes 56 of the OFF cam 55 come into engagement with the hour wheel pins 74, the wheel moves up as seen in FIG. 4 thus lifting the lever 81. The operator 84 and the lever 82 remain latched until the pin 91, engaging the unlatching surface 94 (see FIG. 7a) pivots the operator S4 slightly counterclockwise to the point where the split pin 95 falls from the arcuate edge 101. The tensioned spring 83 then snaps the lever'82 up sharply as Seen in FIG. 7a and the split pin 95 pushes along the camming surface 97 to snap the operator 84 fully counterclockwise to the OFF position of FIG. 7b.

A second latch for holding the lever 81 fixed and the switch operator 84 in OFF, FIG. 7b, position, is provided by a lever 103 pivoted at 104 on the frame 73 and biased by a spring 105 so that the tip 106 on the lever swings under a latching edge 107 on the operator 84 when the latter is in OFF position. The lever tip 106 extends through an opening 108 in the frame 73 into the path of the unlatching surface 98 on the lever 82.

When the lobes 56 on the ON cam 54 come into engagement with the hour wheel pins 74, the hour wheel moves down as seen in FIGS. 4 and 7c lowering the lever 82 against the increasing bias of the spring 83. The lever 81 and the operator 84 remain latched until the surface 98 engages the tip 106 and swings the lever 103 counterclockwise (see FIG. 7c) to unlatch the operator 84. The spring 83 then snaps the lever 81 down and the pin 91 pushes along the camming surface 93 to snap the operator 84 fully clockwise to the ON position of FIG. 4.

It will thus be seen that only slight movement of the hour wheel 47, at the times dictated by the positioning of the cams 54, 55, causes energy to be stored in the spring 83 and, upon the tripping of a latch, this energy sharply cams the operator 84 back and forth between ON and OFF positions. The contacts 26 are thus snap-actuated both into and out of engagement.

To permit the contacts 26 to be closed or opened whenever desired, a manual control is provided in the form of a knob 110 mounted on a shaft 111 that extends rearwardly from the timer housing 11. The shaft 111 carries a plate 112 (see FIG. 8) of insulating material that defines a pair of fingers 113 that extend to either side of a tab portion 114 on the contact arm 29. The plate 112 carries a projection 115 which, under the force of a spring 116, detents into any one of three depressions 117 formed in the plate 22. The angular position of the shaft 111 is indicated by indicia marks 118 on the knob 110 and the back of the housing 11. In the AUTO position of the knob 110, shown in FIG. 8, the fingers 113 clear the tab portion 114 and the contacts 26 open and close under the control the operator 84 acting on the contact arm extension 89. In the ON and OFF positions of the knob 110, the fingers 113 move the contact arm 29 sufficiently far to open or close the contacts 26 regardless of the position of the operator 484. The manual control thus overrides the effect of the switch 25 acting on the extension 89.

It can now be seen that the timer 10 embodies the general appearance and setting characteristics of a conventional alarm clock. It will also be apparent that the operating mechanism is completely enclosed within the housing 11 and that there are no exposed lugs or tabs for ON-OFF setting. The hands indicating the set condition of the timer are completely enclosed within the lens 12.

The timer is well suited for attractive clock-like styling and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the parts making up the mechanism are adapted for economical mass production.

The inclusion of the second hand 17 provides, as already noted above, an immediate indication to the user that the timer is in operation. And, as also has been noted above, snap actuation of the contacts is achieved even though the switch actuating member is a slowly moving twenty-four hour gear wheel.

We claim as our invention:

1. A time switch comprising, in combination a box-like housing, a lens covering a 24 hour dial each being fixed in one side of said housing, a stack of hands mounted in said housing for movement over said dial and beneath said lens, said stack of hands including an hour hand, an ON hand and an OFF hand, means in said housing for driving said hour hand at a time indicating rate over said dial, a switch in said housing, means for closing said switch when the positions of the hour hand and the ON hand coincide, means for opening said switch when the positions of the hour hand and the OFF hand coincide, and manual means for setting said hands independently.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said stack of hands includes a second hand, and the combination includes means for driving said second hand at a one r.p.m. rate over said dial.

3. In a timer having a control member that is moved first in one direction and then in the opposite direction during the course of a timing cycle, the combination comprising, a frame, first and second levers pivoted at one end on said frame and sandwiching said control member so that the first lever is pivoted by movement of the control member in said one direction and the second 1ever is pivoted by movement of the control lever in said other direction, means biasing said levers toward one another and said control member, a switch operator mounted on said frame for movement between ON and OFF positions, said first lever and said operator having interengaging camming portions for moving said operator into OFF position under the force of said biasing means, said second lever and said operator having interengaging camming portions for moving said operator into ON position under the force of said biasing means, means defining a first latch, which is released by movement of said first lever by said control member, for holding said operator against movement to said ON position, and means defining a second latch, which is released by movement of said second lever by said control member, for holding said operator against movement to said OFF position.

4. The combination of claim 3 including a pair of switch contact arms, said switch operator acting on one of said arms to open and close said switch upon movement of said operator between said ON and OFF positions, and a manual control for moving the other of said arms sufiiciently far to open and close said switch regardless of the position of said one arm under the control of said operator.

5. The combination of claim 3 in which said control member is a gear wheel of said timer, and said control member is moved by a pair of positionable cams located one on either side of said gear wheel, the combination including, manual means for positioning each of said cams so as to select the times at which said gear wheel is moved and said switch operator shifted between ON and OFF positions.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which said gear wheel and said positionable carns are mounted on concentric sleeves, the combination including, a time indicating dial, and a stack of hands mounted on said sleeves for movement over said dial, said hands including a time indicating hand on the sleeve mounting said gear wheel, an ON hand on the sleeve mounting one of said cams and an OFF hand mounted on the sleeve mounting the other of said cams.

y 7. The combination of claim 6 including a second hand in said stack of hands, and means in said timer for driving said second hand over said dial.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,146,562 2/ 1939 Cameron et al. 2,926,486 3/1960 Graves. 2,981,807 4/ 1961 Smith. 3,100,961 8/1963 Bassett. 3,109,280 11/1963 Ring et al. 3,227,827 1/ 1966 Morrison et al. 3,400,233 9/ 1968 Ring.

HERMAN O. JONES, Primary Examiner 

